As the World Turns
by doomshuriken
Summary: AU Victorian-era England  or thereabouts . Allen is a street rat with a home that's falling to pieces. Mana is a bachelor with nothing going for him except low expectations. The strange ways they change each others lives, as the world inevitable turns.


Disclaimer: Do not own. I wish, but when has wishing on stars actually worked other than in cartoons?

X x X x X

"What's your name, boy?" He asked.

"Runt."

"Runt?"

"Yeah, Runt. Rufio picked it out fer me. Said it was perfect fer a shorty like me."

"I am rather sorry to inform you that 'Runt,'" he said the name like it was some kind of personal affront, "is a completely inappropriate name for anyone, short or otherwise."

"Don'chu be makin' fun of me! I could take you, even if you are a grown-up!"

Mana looked down the scrawny street rat on his doorstep. The boy couldn't be more than seven or eight years old. He looked like he hadn't seen a good, solid meal in years, if ever, and Mana somehow doubted he had ever eaten a proper vegetable. _ He looks a little like Neah, remember?_ A little voice popped into his head. _When you two were little. They've got the same atrocious hair, all spikey and never washed. _Mana looked at the waif again, and registered the mass of brown spikes sticking out from the back of his head, and the dirt that was caked into it.

"Look, mister. I ain't gonna stick aroun' so you can stare at me. D'you have any coin or not?"

_The same tactlessness, too._ "Actually, I have a proposition for you, m'boy-"

"No." Allen's body was suddenly tense, and he backed slowly away from Mana. Mana, on the other hand was utterly confused. He hadn't even gotten to finish his sentence. Thinking over what he said, he couldn't find anything particularly alarming.

"No? But I haven't even asked anything, yet!"

"I don' do that stuff. Rufio tol' me about it, said if anyone invites me in, I say no real fast an' leave. An' he said that I should do the same if anyone says tha' word… uhh… prempozition."

_Oh._ "That Rufio is a smart boy. The word is 'proposition,' by the way."

"Right. But I'm leavin' now, unless you got some coin fer me."

"Well, hold your horses, then," Mana rifled through the pockets of his Victorian coat. He had to have a few pence on him somewhere. _Empty… empty… empty … ten shilling note… empty… empty… empty… empty…Oh, come now. Do I really only have the one paper? Drat._

With a rather sour smile, Mana presented his week's wages. Allen's affected indifference slipped away as he saw the paper. With the disbelief of someone who has had a lot taken from him right in front of his face, Allen reached for the note. Mana's bitterness over losing his wages faded as he saw the hope that grew the closer the shillings came to Allen's grasping hand. After a moment, both the boy and the adult were holding onto the money, and Allen's gray eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Now I've got a _deal_ for you, m'boy," Mana carefully edited his previous statement. "I'm giving you this money no matter what, but if you come back every day, at this time, I'll teach you something," Allen looked unimpressed, "…and give you up to a shilling." Allen's eyes brightened to almost blue as he nodded, and gave Mana what was probably a smile. It was a little hard to tell, because it looked a lot like a grimace, but Mana was an optimist. _Now how are you going to get that money, fool? Have a good time working a second job, _the little voice, on the other hand, was a pessimist in every sense of the word. _Well, I was planning on getting another job at some point. Why not now?_ Mana shrugged to himself and let go of the money. It disappeared inside the folds of Allen's vest immediately, and Allen gave him another grimace-smile, and shot away down the street.

X x X x X

**A/N: Can't say I'm entirely satisfied with how this worked out, to be honest. I can never write out dialogue, internal or external, without it sounding awkward. Humph. Well, I have a pair of possible plots prepped for this, so if someone wants to review or PM me about adopting it or doing a co... cohesion... conglomeration... coexistence... damn, I don't remember what they're called, but I'll help someone else write this. I'll never get around to it without an actual obligation to someone, plus I can't write dialogue. *grump***

**So, yeah. Tell me whatchu think, and if you are or if you know of anyone who might be interested. Ciao.**


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